1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a wearable garment comprising at least one impact absorbing pad.
2. Description of Related Art
Wearable garments with impact absorbing pads are known in numerous applications. In particular, they are widely used in sports where the wearer's body is likely to be subjected to an impact. For example, in rugby, football (US), boxing, horse riding and cricket. In addition, in activities such as motorcycling and cycling, impact absorbing pads are built into helmets, jackets and trousers which provide a degree of protection to the body of a user.
Also of relevance to the present invention are a number of developments in the field of “smart clothing”. Examples of smart clothing include pedometers, gyroscopes and heart rate monitors built into garments. These are generally used to measure parameters such as distance travelled, speed, acceleration and heart rate. These can be used to provide an indication to a user of various parameters such as energy expended, distance travelled, etc.
Of particular relevance to the present invention are developments in smart clothing in the field of impact detection. The applicant is aware of a number of systems which are designed to indirectly measure the impact on a body. These include the xPatch manufactured by X2 Biosystems. This is a patch which is designed to be taped behind the ear of a user and provides six axis acceleration measurements. The Checklight manufactured by Reebok includes an accelerometer and a gyroscope built into a skull cap. The skull cap has red, yellow and green lights which are lit depending upon the severity of the detected impact. The Shockbox from i1 provides a similar device. Also, the blast gauge system manufactured by Blackbox Biometrix is a sensor system which monitors pressure and acceleration to determine exposure to explosive blasts in a military context.
We are also aware of a golfing glove known as the Sensoglove® which has inbuilt pressure sensors to provide an analytic tool for a trainer in determining how hard a user is gripping a club.
US 2015/0059494 discloses a system for monitoring and measuring impact forces imparted to an individual. This has a multi-layer plate which might be incorporated into an item of clothing. A sensor is provided towards the outer face of the plate.